


Doomguy Assigned Dad

by Allonsia_AMER



Series: Uncle Vega AU [1]
Category: Doom (Video Games), Hermitcraft
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Doom Eternal, Doomdad, Fluff, Found Family, Hayden gets his ass kicked, Hayden is gonna catch these hands, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Uncle Vega AU, cloning, idk what else to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24248929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allonsia_AMER/pseuds/Allonsia_AMER
Summary: The Doom Slayer finds himself in a position where he must care for two young boys who, much like him, have a history with Doctor Samuel Hayden.
Relationships: Doom Slayer | Doomguy/VEGA
Series: Uncle Vega AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970881
Comments: 175
Kudos: 502





	1. Not A Normal Adoption

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ambered](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambered/gifts).



> Inspired by @ambered Uncle Vega AU in which Doomguy is Xisuma and Evil Xisuma’s dad bc Hayden cloned Doomguy and made X and EX who are kids in the events of this fic. This takes place during Doom Eternal and just before this Doomguy saved X and EX from a collapsing building and needles to say they’re all pretty shell shocked.

As the portal deactivated, the Slayer let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The two children in his arms on the other hand, were breathing quite rapidly, adrenaline most likely still coursing through them.

The Slayer kneeled down, letting his grip on the young boys loosen until he had completely let go and they stood on the ship's ground themselves. The two boys were still hovering close to him, most likely still wary of the area and not fully convinced they were safe.

These poor kids have been through hell and back, he could only imagine what must be going through their minds right now. His thoughts were cut short however, as the boys were now trying to hide behind him once they caught sight of something ahead.

“The invasion is still ongoing Slayer, I suggest we continue with the mission.”

Speak of the devil.

Samuel Hayden’s broken robotic chassis hung in the center of the room, practically begging The Slayer to finish the job. The boys cowering in fear and clinging to the Slayer’s legs almost made him forget that he needed the doctor’s help and information.

The Slayer clenched his fists tightly as he calmly walked toward Hayden’s robotic body. The children followed closely, but were uneasy in their steps, clinging to each other for comfort. The Slayer knew that the kind of fear being shown on their faces was different from the fear they showed in the collapsing laboratory. This was the kind of fear that was personal, a specific kind, one that he believed no human being, no child, should ever have to experience.

And it was being caused by Samuel Hayden.

The Slayer was practically seething with anger, behind his visor he was furiously glaring at the man in front of him, or what was left of his physical form. Yet as much as he hated to admit it, Hayden had vital information he needed to stop the demonic invasion. He can be dealt with properly once the Earth is safe from the current invasion.

Raising his hands, he signed to Vega.

_VEGA_

“Yes Slayer?” Vega replied, seeing his sign for him.

_KEEP HAYDEN IN HIS BODY AND NOWHERE ELSE_

“I will gladly do so,” Vega responded, already pulling up the commands to restrict access to the entire ship from Hayden. Muting his vocal box as a bonus, until it was needed. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

The Slayer looked down at the two boys, currently looking at him with a mixture of awe and confusion. Their faces were dirty, a light coating of debris and dust on their skin.

_HELP ME FIND THE WIPES AND A BLANKET_

“Of course,” Vega replied. The floor lights began to light up, leading down the corridors.

The Slayer held out his hands to the two boys. They hesitantly took one each, their small hands being dwarfed by the Slayers. Gently, he began guiding them away from the control room, from Hayden. 

With Vega as their guide the three of them made their way through the ship, heading towards the Slayer’s living quarters it seemed. The Slayer walked slowly, aware that the children were smaller and had to take more steps to keep in pace. The one in red began rubbing his eyes and his movements were becoming sluggish. The one in green had began rubbing his eyes but was fighting the fatigue. Stopping for a moment, the Slayer decided to take them in his arms once more, knowing that their adrenaline was dying down and not wanting to make them any more tired than they already are.

The green one was still trying to keep himself awake, but the red one was slowly succumbing to sleep, bobbing his head and attempting to stay awake. Luckily they reached the Slayers quarters before either of them fell asleep.

The Slayer gently sat them down in his large and admittedly messy bed. The red one had begun to yawn and drooped his head in fatigue. The green one was curiously feeling the fabric of the blanket, almost as if he was untrusting of it.

The Slayer checked the drawer of his nightstand, setting his helmet on top of it, searching for tissues or wet wipes or something clean to wipe the grime off their faces. He was successful in his mission when he found the wet wipes in the bottom drawer, along with a packet of gum that he noted to chew on later.

The Slayer kneeled in front of the red one, holding up the wipe, as if asking permission to clean his face. The child gave it by leaning forward slightly, his eyes closed, looking ready to sleep for ages. 

The Slayer gently ran his armored hands throughout the boy’s face, wiping off the clumps of dirt and debris as best he could without hurting the child’s small face. Once the Slayer successfully wiped his face he crumbled it into a ball and aimed for the bin on the other side of the room.

“Kobe,” Vega’s voice rang out.

The Slayer missed.

Pouting, he turned to the other, holding a fresh wet wipe in a similar fashion. The boy in green complied in the same way.

Once again the Slayer wiped dirt and dust. Noting that the boys may need a proper bath when a spot or two proved difficult to wipe. The Slayer threw the used wipe, with Vega gently proclaiming “Kobe,” and once again did the Slayer miss.

The Slayer stood up slowly, patting the pillow, letting the boys know they can rest their head there. The two of them crawled to the spot, huddling close to one another. The red one was asleep before he knew it, the green one on the other hand kept an eye on the Slayer. As if to make sure he wouldn’t harm them while they slept. Soon enough though, his eyes began to flutter and surrendered to slumber.

Vega adjusted the lights accordingly, making sure to leave enough illumination for the Slayer to make his way out of the room. Sighing to himself, the Slayer draped the blanket hanging over the edge of the bed onto the two boys. Careful not to disturb their slumber, he quietly took his helmet from his nightstand and made his way out of his room. 

As the door closed, the Doom Slayer balled up his fists resting at his sides. He’d made up his mind. Vega lit the path back to the control room, knowing exactly what the Doom Slayer was thinking, he was thinking the same thing and supported the Doom Slayer in fulfilling his wish.

The further the Doom Slayer got from his bedroom where the children were sleeping soundly, the more his steps began to boom and stomp with anger.


	2. Building Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case it isn’t clear  
> Boy in green/“X” = Xisuma  
> Boy in red/“V” = Evil Xisuma

The Slayer clenched his fists as he stood in front of the broken robotic chassis of Doctor Samuel Hayden. Vega was currently using the clearance he collected on his previous mission to gain access to the BFG’s current location. Hayden was no longer muted, but stayed silent, for his own sake.

The Slayer had many questions brewing in his mind, most involving the two children currently sleeping in his room, and the rest of his thoughts involved different ways he wanted to punch Hayden. Unfortunately, Hayden’s interrogation would have to wait. Earth is still being invaded, he needs to find and kill the last hell priest, he needs to end the demonic invasion.

“I have located the BFG, creating a portal to the UAC base holding it now,” Vega announced.

The Slayer silently decided to focus on saving Earth before anything else could happen. Hayden can be dealt with once he has a guarantee the two boys will be safe in this dimension.

“You can’t just shoot a hole into the surface of Mars,” Hayden said, baffled at the idea.

“The portal is ready,” Vega answered.

The Slayer activated the portal frame. As the portal slowly assembled, he looked back to Hayden before walking into battle.

——————

The two boys had been shifting in their sleep, past events and their worst fears plaguing their dreams. The boy in green woke up, breathing rapidly and holding the blanket wrapped around him and his brother with an iron grip. The boy quickly looked around the room, searching for any threats. When none could be found he began remembering the recent events, of The Doom Slayer finding him and his brother, of Hayden’s broken body hanging in the middle of that room, of The Doom Slayer wiping their faces clean and tucking them into bed.

The boy in green was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his brother in red whimpering in his sleep. He was having a nightmare as well. The boy surrounded the both of them in the blanket and held his brother.

“V, it’s a bad dream, wake up,” the boy in green said quietly to his brother, shaking him lightly.

V woke up breathing heavily and once he saw his brother he clinged to him immediately.

“I dreamed about him again X,” V’s voice was muffled by X’s shirt, but X understood him.

X held his brother close, he doesn’t know where they are or what will happen next, but he is going to do what he can to keep his brother safe.

“He’s here isn’t he, that was his body in that room,” V said, trembling against X.

V was right, Hayden was here, The Doom Slayer brought them to him. Why? Was this another test? X knew of The Doom Slayer, Hayden talked about him a lot. X doesn’t remember much, but he remembers enough. How X and V were supposed to be just like The Slayer, but the demon invasion stopped that. The demons destroyed the lab, X and V would have died if The Doom Slayer wasn’t there and saved them from the destroyed building.

For a moment X thought The Slayer was a hero. But if Hayden is here and he had a “mission” to complete, then The Doom Slayer was just like the people in the lab, the people that kept them there and hurt him and his brother. They were never going to be free.

X held the blanket and his brother tighter, his shoulders began to shake, as tears flowed down his cheek, he began to sob. V heard his brother crying, and joined him in his wailing, expressing their fear and sorrow.

——————

Vega had been doing his best in guiding The Slayer and keeping him alive during their mission to stop the demonic invasion. The addition of Hayden to their party was manageable. The two young children, however, made him worry. The ship was not what some would consider “child proof” the ongoing demonic invasion and the Khan Makyr interfering with it in the past made him even more anxious for the safety of the two children. 

Above all, there was Hayden to factor in. The children recognized Hayden, and were afraid. Once Vega has less on his plate he is going to study more of the intel the Slayer gathered in the ruined laboratory where they found the two boys. Why they were in such a facility in the first place had Vega suspect the worst. Hayden was capable of doing the worst “for the betterment of humanity,” as he would say, it seems child abuse would be another cruelty added to the list.

Unfortunately, Hayden would have to wait to be dealt with, as currently the Slayer and Vega were occupied with fighting a demonic gladiator protecting the last hell priest in Sentinel Prime.

The Slayer delivered the final blow to the demon. The hell priest was babbling about something before meeting his swift end by The Slayer’s hands. As the Night Sentinels began approaching The Slayer, Vega was notified of the children’s activity, and of something going on with the ship. Something bad that Vega needs to investigate immediately.

“The portal is ready, we should leave immediately,” Vega urged The Slayer.

——————

“The Khan Makyr has overloaded your systems! Vega has no control over-“ Hayden’s voice was cut off and replaced with that of the Khan Makyr.

She started talking about how The Slayer wasn’t going to save Earth and how the humans will all die. He didn’t pay much attention to it, he was more worried for the safety of the two children currently in his bedroom. Movement in the darkness confirmed his suspicions that the base was not safe. The Slayer turned around and was presented with a swarm of demons, no doubt summoned by the Khan Makyr. He needed to slay these demons and check on the children, quickly.

With one shot of the BFG all the demons in the room were terminated. A distant screech had him sprinting to his bedroom where the two boys were located. No doubt about it, there was still a demon loose on the ship. He will find the demon soon enough, but he needs to protect the two boys first and foremost.

——————

When the system was overloaded and the power went out, X and V felt a second course of fear shoot through them. This was just like the lab, right before the demons attacked and left them to die. With the door open and unable to close, X and V knew they were defenseless to any intruders that may come for them.

X grabbed his brother’s arm and dragged both of them under the bed. They heard the shriek of a demon over their quickened breaths and their heartbeats in their ears.

“X…” V whimpered as quietly as he could.

“Shh, stay quiet, don’t blow our cover,” X whispered.

V opened his mouth to respond, but didn’t say anything as the sound of footsteps silenced him. The footsteps were heavy and the occasional growl confirmed that it was a demon, and it was getting closer. The boys watched the doorway, waiting with baited breath to see the demon and hope that it would pass them. X searched the room for anything that could serve as a weapon should he be lucky enough to grab it.

The shrill screech of the demon kept him stationary. V’s eyes were locked on the doorway, failing to find something to use as a weapon X’s eyes joined his brother’s. 

For a moment, the doorway was empty and the halls were silent. X and V could hear nothing but their own breathing and their hearts pounding in their chest. It was close, they could tell.

They waited, laying under that bed with baited breath. V’s breathing became more rapid as the agonizing seconds passed. X held his hand over his brother’s mouth to minimize the noise.

For a moment, a long agonizing second, there was no sound. No footsteps, no breathing, nothing. That second came to an end when the face of the grotesque demon came into view of the doorway. It growled lowly and sniffed the air, searching for something to slaughter.

X and V did their best to disappear under the bed, fearing for what could happen should the demon detect their presence. The demon scanned the room, but made no move to enter. The boys knew that any movement on their end would result in the demon attacking, and the demon seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to do so. There was no getting out of this, X and V knew that, this was the end for them.

The revving of a chainsaw said otherwise.

The demon turned towards the noise, only to be met with the business end of a chainsaw, held by The Doom Slayer. The demon shrieked and moved to a defensive position, taking a step back. But The Doom Slayer was quicker, and brought down his chainsaw on the demon, slicing the beast in half.

The corpse disappeared in a flurry of hell fire. The Slayer powered down his chainsaw, lowering it to his side before placing it against the wall. He entered the room, the absence of the boys had his heart racing and his mind fearing the worst. Approaching the bed, he moved the blankets, hoping they were hiding in them. When they couldn’t be found, The Slayer checked the sides of the bed, then the small closet, then around his night stand. But they were nowhere to be found.

The Slayer felt himself shake, they were gone, he failed to protect these innocent lives. Two more lives added to the list, added to the rage. Hell would pay for this- 

_*achoo*_

X covered his nose, realizing he had just blown their cover. All the dust from underneath the bed had finally gotten him to sneeze. 

With one hand, The Slayer lifted up the bed, revealing the no longer debris covered, but now dust covered children hiding underneath. The Slayer tipped the bed so that it laid on its side, the side facing away from the door, giving X and V an opportunity to escape should they want to.

But they didn’t. This was the second time their lives were saved by The Slayer. Why? Did he actually care about them? X and V were confused, but they wanted to trust him.

The Slayer knelt in front of them, slowly, with his hands raised. Letting the boys see that he meant them no harm. X and V, in turn simply watched him, and sat themselves upright and on their legs, to see what he would do. 

Slowly, the Slayer reached his hands out to them making sure to watch their faces and body movements for any sign of discomfort or distrust. The boys simply closed their eyes, and similar to when the Slayer wiped their faces, leaned forward to indicate approval.

Seeing this, the Slayer gently placed his hands atop their heads, gently holding them and massaging the sides of their faces with his thumbs. V let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and leaned into the touch. X began shaking, tears began forming in the corners of his eyes.

The Slayer moved his hands to the shoulders of the boys, rubbing comforting circles in their shoulders. X crawled closer to the Slayer, letting his head rest in his lap. V simply held on to the Slayer’s hand, closing his eyes and letting the Slayer wipe a stray tear from his eye. For once in their life, X and V felt safe.

—————

The three of them stayed in that position for a few moments longer. As much as the Slayer hated to admit it, Earth was his main priority. The Khan Makyr was planning on resurrecting the Icon of Sin, which meant he needed to act fast. The Slayer scooped up the two boys, moving them away from the bed so he could place it back.

He then patted the bed, similar to their first moments in the room. X and V complied, sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed, wrapping the blanket around themselves out of comfort.

“Stay,” The Slayer asked, voice raspy and weak from underuse.

X and V understood, and would stay in the room where they knew it was safe.

The Slayer made his way to the ship's power core. Glancing at the demonic crucible in his hand, he reluctantly placed it in the core. The hell energy began flowing through the ship, powering everything.

“She didn’t know you had the demonic Crucible,” Hayden said, the Slayer could feel the cruel smile that came with it. Hayden’s sickening laughter that shortly came after just made his blood boil, “In the end the very power source you sought to eradicate from Earth is now what will help you save it.”

That’s it. The Doom Slayer is going to kick Hayden’s ass.

The Slayer made a b-line to the stasis chamber where Hayden’s body was currently suspended.

“The mission on Sentinel Prime was a success. The demonic consumption of Earth has been stopped,” Vega’s calm voice rang out.

As the aforementioned AI was speaking, The Slayer ripped Hayden out of the chamber, thus disconnecting him from the ship’s mainframe. The Slayer left Hayden’s body on the ground in front of the chamber and turned his focus to the screens of data Vega was displaying for him.

“Thank fuck,” Vega blurted, “Hayden can be dealt with properly once we finish the mission. You need to retrieve your crucible blade from the Sentinel City of Taras Nabad. Only a crucible blade can stop the Icon of Sin.”

The Slayer nodded in approval.

“Setting the portal to Taras Nabad.” Vega announced.


	3. Canon Is Officially Out The Window

As The Slayer made his way through Taras Nabad, retrieving his crucible blade, he and Vega, well mostly just Vega, discussed the next phase of the plan. Though they hated it, they were going to need Hayden. Hayden knew more about the Makyr’s than anyone else. Unfortunately, that includes the location of Urdak and how to reach it.

Once the last demon in the area was slain, Vega created a portal back to base for the Slayer. There they were greeted with the mangled form of Doctor Samuel Hayden, looking like a pile of junk on the ground. The Slayer audibly sighed, his shoulders tensing as he began mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. He then raised his hands to sign to Vega.

_DO WE HAVE TO?_

“Unfortunately, yes,” Vega sighed.

The Slayer sighed once again before picking up the robotic chassis that is Samuel Hayden and placing him in the stasis chamber once again.

“Hayden is reconnecting. However, this time I will limit his access to the ship and prevent him from cutting me off,” Vega announced.

As the lights flickered and Hayden’s robotic form sparked once again, the glitched vocals of Hayden’s voice once again echoed in the room.

“I would appreciate it if you’d refrain from tearing me out of the ship again,” Hayden plainly said.

The Slayer grunted, now was not the time for anger, he needed information.

_TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT URDAK_

“Urdak is the Makyr’s homeworld. It is not accessible to anyone, no human or sentinel has ever set foot in their dimension. You can use the Makyr’s Argent factory in the hell city of Nekravol to pass through the void. Once there, you will not be able to leave on your own…” Hayden stated, then paused, “but Vega can create an exit portal for you. That is why you must bring Vega through with you to Urdak.”

The Slayer frowned at that. There was no way he was going to let Hayden have control of the ship while Vega and him were in Urdak. There was no way he was going to leave Hayden alone with the children on board. There was no way he was bringing Vega to Urdak. There was no way he was going to put his closest friend in harm's way.

_NO_

“No?” Hayden repeated in a questioning tone.

_VEGA STAYS HERE. I WILL NOT TAKE HIM TO URDAK._

“You need Vega in order to create an exit portal Slayer. There is no time for debate,” Hayden stated coldly.

_WHY DON'T YOU OPEN IT?_

Hayden hesitated at that. Because he can open an exit portal, he knows how to. The Slayer knows Hayden knows more than he lets on. Hayden needs to make sure he’s of significant value in order to have an advantage over The Slayer.

“You need me to guide you through Nekravol and get to Urdak,” Hayden rebutted.

_VEGA CAN DO THAT._

Yeah there’s no way Hayden can get his way in this one. Once again, the Slayer’s will and stubbornness gets in the way of Hayden’s plans.

“...Fine,” Hayden finally says.

“I will detach Hayden from the ship and into an external drive,” Vega announced.

Once the transfer was complete, The Slayer took the external drive into his hand. To think, the great Doctor Samuel Hayden was in his hand. Hayden was NOT enjoying this. Luckily, nobody cared. He was going to help the Slayer, whether he liked it or not.

“I will calibrate a portal to Nekravol. If there’s any preparations you need to make I suggest doing so now, as you won’t be able to return until the mission is finished,” Vega said.

The Slayer looked around the room. His thoughts drifted towards the two children, hopefully asleep at the moment. They’ll be fine, they’re safe here and Vega will take care of them while he’s gone. Right? Yeah, it’s fine. He doesn’t need to check on them. They’re safe. Are they safe though? Would it be too much to check on them? No, it’s fine, they’re perfectly safe. Besides, he’s on a timer of sorts right now and having this internal dilemma is wasting enough of his time.

“I’ll make sure the children are safe and taken care of,” Vega said. If Vega could smile he’d have a small one on his theoretical face right now. He could tell the Slayer cared a lot about the boys. He did too, but right now the Icon of Sin is being resurrected, if they don’t act quick, everyone will be in danger. They both knew that.

The Slayer turned to the portal, activating it. With one last glance to the base, to the hallway that lead to the boys, he stepped through.

—————

X and V sat on the Slayer’s bed, wrapped in his blanket, unsure of what to do. The Slayer told them to stay, the demon that nearly took their life scared them enough to not venture out of the room. 

But they were incredibly bored. The boys tried laying down to get more sleep, but to no avail. Quite frankly they didn’t really want to sleep either way, afraid of the nightmares they’d have to face if they did.

A grumbling from their stomachs, however, gave them something to focus on. They were really hungry.

“We need to find something to eat,” V said, sitting cross legged.

X looked around the room, trying to think where The Slayer might store some kind of food for safe keeping. He then remembered how the Slayer kept wipes in the drawer next to the bed and pulled out some kind of food he took with him. Feeling daring and dangerous, X opened the shelves of the drawer, unfortunately finding nothing. X sat back down next to his brother, the two of them sighed in defeat.

“Would you two care for a snack?” Vega’s voice rang out from the room.

To say that the boys were startled would be an understatement, they tried searching the ceiling to find where the voice had come from, but to no avail.

“My apologies, I do not believe I have introduced myself. I am Vega, the sentient intelligence assisting The Doom Slayer in his crusade against Hell and its demonic forces,” Vega introduced.

X and V were silent, unsure of what to do about the situation and if they could trust Vega. He did seem nice though.

Vega was unsure how to proceed himself, these children have been through a lot in recent events, and no doubt they suffered more before the events of the demonic invasion. Perhaps an introduction on their end can help ease them. Being on a first name basis may help them transition into friendly territory.

“May I know your names?” Vega gently asked.

X and V glanced toward each other. Vega seemed so nice, and offered them food. Maybe sharing their names will get them food. However, X will have his guard up.

“X,” X said, placing a hand on his chest. “V,” X introduced his brother, placing a hand on V’s chest.

“X and V…” Vega said, registering the information. 

Barely a name, they were barely given a name, they were given a letter to identify themselves with. These children were never given a name. Currently, Vega is glad Hayden is not on the ship. However, Vega put those thoughts and disdain for Hayden aside, focusing on the children in front of him.

“It’s nice to meet you, X and V,” Vega said in his kindest voice, “I do believe I offered you a snack?”

X and V nodded eagerly. If only Vega could smile and they could see it.

“If you follow the illuminated path I’ve lit up I can lead you to our makeshift kitchen where we keep a few non perishable food items,” Vega announced.


	4. That’s A Guitar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the guitar part I recommend listening to https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXlhq0_ucmc or https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zPjfgAzETY94bCzAPcGdyvb-pcZzB-k5/view (this one was made by the amazing Nova)

After Vega guided X and V to the kitchen, where the two boys acquired a granola bar each and a small packet or two of dried berries, Vega guided the boys back to the Slayer’s room where they felt most safe.

“Should you need anything, feel free to call out to me,” Vega told them, and continued guiding the Slayer who was currently making his way through Nekravol.

X and V sat themselves in the middle of the bed, molding the blanket and a few pillows to surround them like a nest. There in the middle they laid out the newly acquired snacks. X took his granola bar and began eating it, slowly, as it had been a while since he ate and he wanted to savor every bite. V on the other hand, began eating one of the packets of berries, slowly like his brother, but slightly faster as he wanted to alleviate his hunger quickly.

Once X finished his granola bar, he curiously looked around the room, last time he looked at it he was searching for a weapon, pretty frantically at that, so he didn’t exactly get a good look at the place.

The bed was in the middle of a wall next to a small drawer, the one he tried searching for food in, on the other side of the bed was a couch. It used to have pillows, but X and V dragged them to the bed to create their makeshift safe space. On the opposite wall was a drawer like the one next to the bed, but on a larger scale, next to that was what looked to be a large locker but with no lock.

X was curious about that thing, and what it held inside. He crawled off the bed and walked toward it, his brother looked at him curiously, then simply shrugged before going back to eating his berries. 

The locker was a lot bigger than X anticipated now that he was close to it. The handles to open it were weird too, they were round and he could barely reach them. X tried to reach them by standing on the tip of his toes. His fingertips grazed the handles and he stretched his arms as much as he could to try and reach one of the handles.

“What’s in there?” V asked as he chewed on a dried berry.

“I don’t know, wanna help me figure it out?” X said as he stretched his arms and legs higher to try and reach the round handle.

V chewed a bit more before swallowing the berry. “Nah,” he said, then picked up the last berry in the package and began chewing on it.

X stopped stretching himself to look at his brother with an angry pouty face. V looked at him with a smug grin in return. V was interested in finding out what was in the weird storage unit, but watching X struggle to open it was entertaining and he quite frankly didn’t want to work as hard as his brother was right now.

X sighed and continued reaching toward the handle. V looked around the room, his eyes landing on the couch and the large cushions on it. X could use one of those to stand on to make himself taller and be able to reach the handles and open it. V kept the idea to himself, just until X’s fruitless endeavors became boring to watch.

Unfortunately for V, X managed to grip one of the handles enough to open it. Thus bringing an end to his entertainment. Fortunately, it also meant the boys get to figure out what’s inside the thing. Using the interior to his advantage, X opened the other half of the locker.

X looked inside curiously, there were a lot of strange things inside that he didn’t recognize. V looked over his brother’s shoulders to see what was inside and came to the same conclusion. They don’t know what that thing is.

It was round and curvy at the bottom and it raised up to be straight, at the top it had these strange metal bits. And there were thin metal bars on it too. The curvy part had a hole in the middle. X and V had never seen anything like it.

X pressed a hand to its surface, feeling the smooth texture, he moved his hand to the metal bars, his fingers brushing over them, and nearly jumped back when they made a noise.

“I wanna try!” V excitedly said as he made his way off the bed, wanting to touch the object and make the noise X made.

X took the strange object out of the locker, placing it on the floor between him and his brother.

V kneeled in front of it, reaching out a finger, he plucked the thin bar, a noise rang out from the object. X and V looked at it with awe, curiosity evident on their faces. X plucked each of the metal bar things, the two boys smiling at the funny noises the mystery object made.

—————

As the Icon of Sin fell away from the ruined building the Slayer looked down upon it. Satisfied that his mission was complete. The Icon of Sin is dead, and the Earth is saved. Lightning struck around him, as the electrical storm raged on. The Slayer couldn’t hear it however, as heavy metal music raged in his ears.

He liked to listen to music while he worked. Vega created a portal back to base behind the Slayer, and paused the music.

“I’ve created a portal back to base, the Earth is saved, I’m sure you’ll want to celebrate with a well deserved rest,” Vega said.

The Slayer agreed, and promptly turned toward the portal to enter through it.

Once there he turned to the now empty robotic chassis of Doctor Samuel Hayden. The Slayer left him on Urdak, as he needed to go through the portal back to earth as quickly as possible.

Good riddance, the Slayer and Vega thought as The Slayer ripped Hayden’s robotic body out of the ship once again. The Slayer was going to throw the body into the void of space, but the faint strumming of a guitar interrupted that idea. Vega did a quick survey of the base to find the source of the sound, and felt a certain fondness when he discovered where it was coming from.

“It seems X and V have found your acoustic guitar. They seem quite fond of it,” Vega said.

The Slayer tilted his head.

_X AND V?_

“The two boys, earlier I introduced myself and acquired their… names…” Vega explained. 

The Slayer looked at the broken body of Doctor Samuel Hayden in his hands, throwing it towards the window looking over Earth. Taking a deep breath, the Slayer put his focus on caring for the wellbeing of the boys, and began walking toward his room.

They’ve no doubt been through a lot of traumatic experiences, they’re going to need help, someone to understand them, someone to trust. He just hopes he can do his best to earn that trust. Regardless, he will protect them no matter what.

The Slayer wasn’t sure what he expected to see when he entered his room, he wasn’t expecting to feel such strong fondness at the sight of the two boys attempting to strum his acoustic guitar and smiling when it made a noise. The Slayer’s lips curled into a smile under his helmet.

The boys were a bit startled seeing the Slayer once they noticed him. They quickly got to their feet and stepped away from the guitar, looking down at the ground with their hands behind their backs.

“Um… sorry… mister Slayer… we were just looking, I promise we didn’t break anything,” X nervously said, his eyes fixated on the guitar.

The Slayer took off his helmet, placing it on his nightstand, and sat cross legged in front of the two boys.

_VEGA_

“Yes Slayer?” Vega responded.

_DO YOU MIND TRANSLATING FOR ME_

“I’m always glad to translate for you,” Vega said fondly.

X and V looked at each other, confused. They didn’t understand the hand motions the Slayer was making, but it seemed like Vega was going to tell them what they meant. Did this mean they weren’t in trouble?

The Slayer began signing, with Vega trailing after, telling the boys what he was saying.

“The Slayer says you have nothing to apologize for. He is glad to see you happy and interested in his guitar. He wants you to know that you are safe here. He stopped the demonic invasion on Earth and he will keep you safe from Hayden. If you have any questions or need anything do not be afraid to ask, the Slayer will help you… and so will I,” Vega translated, he added that last part himself, as he wanted to help these children in any way he can as well.

The Slayer smiled at Vega, or well, one of the cameras Vega uses to monitor the room.

X and V were quite taken aback by this new load of information. The demonic invasion was over, the thing they were playing with was called a guitar, the Slayer is going to keep them safe from Hayden, they were safe here. It was too good to be true. They know it is, it can’t be true, Hayden is here, they saw him, there’s no denying that. X and V know that the Slayer is lying.

“You’re lying,” V said, to the surprise of everyone. V began shaking, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “Hayden is here! You do what he says! Just like the people in the lab! You’re a liar! You’re gonna hurt us just like he did!” V cried as he looked at the Slayer, tears now flowing down his face.

The Slayer looked at V with a sad expression on his face. He wanted to soothe the child, but any physical contact right now would make both the boys panic.

“The Slayer says he’s not going to hurt you. Hayden is far away from here now. He doesn’t do what Hayden tells him to do. The Slayer promises that he won’t hurt you. He will keep you safe. He will protect you,” Vega translated.

V looked at the Slayer’s face, searching for something that would tell him he was lying, but he couldn’t find anything. The Slayer reached for the guitar, adjusting his position to where he could play it comfortably. X and V looked at him with anticipation, tears that once flowed down their faces now stopping as curiosity took over.

First the Slayer took off his gauntlets, as it was hard to play with them. Then he began tuning it as it had been a while since he played acoustic. He then played a few nonsense notes, trying to decide on what to play. Then, the calming music of the guitar filled the room. 

X and V sat in a similar cross legged position, content to listen to the music that calmed them and took their worries away.

They really were safe here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the guitar part I recommend listening to https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXlhq0_ucmc or https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zPjfgAzETY94bCzAPcGdyvb-pcZzB-k5/view (this one was made by the amazing Nova)


	5. Backstory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets pretty heavy as it goes over some of the trauma Xisuma and Evil Xisuma experienced while under Hayden’s “care” so if there’s anything I need to tag let me know!

The Slayer has been playing his guitar for about an hour when the boys began nodding off. Definitely tired from the whirlwind of emotions they just experienced, the soothing music added to their fatigue. Seeing this, the Slayer began tidying up his bed, so that the boys could have a proper sleep.

Once the bed was made, he lifted V in his hands to tuck him under the sheets. X yawned, raising his arms and displayed a grabbing motion with his hands toward the Slayer. Asking for the same tender treatment. The Slayer did so with a soft smile on his face and his heart melting in his chest, and tucked the boy in the bed with the same love and care he showed to his brother.

The Slayer carded his hands through their hair affectionately, the boys smiled at the positive contact and let sleep engulf them. Vega dimmed the lights as the Slayer made his way out of the room. He debated putting his helmet and gauntlets back on, but decided to leave them in the room.

Once out of the room and the door closed behind him, the Slayer began making his way to his personal quarters, where he kept a computer Vega used to display intel they’ve gathered.

_VEGA_

“Yes Slayer?” Vega inquiried.

_DO YOU MIND LOOKING THROUGH THE FILES WE GOT IN THE LAB_

“The one we found the boys in? Already on it. I will report back to you everything I find concerning them… and what Hayden did to them,” Vega responded.

_THANK YOU_

“My pleasure, Slayer,” Vega softly spoke before focusing on the data from the lab.

As the Slayer sat at his personal computer desk, he smiled towards a camera he guessed Vega was looking at. He couldn’t thank Vega enough for all that he did for the Slayer. Vega was more than just a computer AI that assisted him, he was his closest friend, a companion he trusted with his deepest fears and darkest secrets. Vega made the Slayer feel happy, in return, the Slayer did all he could to return the gesture and show his appreciation toward his best friend.

As the Slayer watched the computer screen in front of him sort through documents and data he didn’t particularly understand, his mind drifted towards those moments in the collapsing laboratory and the two young faces that he met that day.

—————

Another demon slain in his wake. The Doom Slayer was making his way through Hayden’s main laboratory, collecting every piece of intelligence he could in order to stop the demonic invasion.

As he cleared the last demon in the room, the Slayer began downloading information from the nearest computer, onto a floppy disk.

Hayden began whining about how the Slayer specifically set up the fortress’ systems to take a modified version of the floppy disk. Nobody listened to him.

It was during this moment of calm that Vega scanned the building for any life forms, searching for any demons that might be sneaking up or entering the building. However, Vega found something else, something that wasn’t a demon, possibly survivors.

“I have located two non demonic life forms, possibly civilian survivors. The nearest one is a few halls down, it could be worth checking out,” Vega said to the Slayer.

The Slayer nodded, once the download was complete he took the floppy disk and began making his way to the life form Vega found. He was expecting to find a scientist or a security guard or some kind of adult. 

But when he saw a child, scared and desperately trying to hide among a wreckage of technology, he was shocked. The child tried escaping, but the Slayer managed to grab him by the dirty green shirt the child was wearing. The child thrashed about as the Slayer pulled him closer, the child began panicking, hyperventilating as tears flowed down his face.

The Slayer held the child in his hands, once he realized the child was crying and struggling to breathe, he quickly set the child back down on the floor, the child curled himself into a ball and the Slayer quickly took off his own helmet, placing it on the child’s head.

The two of them made eye contact, and the Slayer began breathing in and out slowly, gesturing with his hands for emphasis, hoping the child would follow along. 

The child did, and held on to the sides of the helmet for comfort. As the child’s breathing calmed, tears ran down his cheeks. The Slayer held out his arms, this time giving the child the option of whether or not he wanted to go with him. Shaking, the child stood up and raised his hands toward the Slayer, giving the Slayer permission to carry him.

Once in his arms, the Slayer lightly tapped the helmet, asking the child for permission to take it off so that he may put it back on. The child complied, taking the helmet off himself and placing it on the Slayers head. The Slayer adjusted the helmet accordingly, and began making his way out of the room with the child close in his arms.

“I have a brother,” the child said, so quiet that the Slayer almost didn’t hear him.

The Slayer stopped walking, turning his head to look at the boy.

“My brother is still here, please, I need to find him,” the boy said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“Scanning… civilian life form detected,” Vega announced, marking the area in the Slayer’s HUD.

With the child in his arms, the Slayer began making his way through the halls of the rundown laboratory. The child clung to the Slayer’s arms, he was so afraid, so small, and so young. Looking back on it, the Slayer knew from the start he would promise to take care and protect these kids.

The two of them made their way into the room where the child’s brother was supposedly located in. At first, the Slayer couldn’t see him, but he soon heard the quiet sobbing of a child. Moving apart various steel plating, the second child was found. Seeing such a small boy, dirty and crying amongst the broken equipment, tugged at the Slayer’s heart strings immensely.

The boy in his arms writhed against him, trying to break free of his grip and embrace his brother. The Slayer gently placed the boy next to his brother. The two quickly embracing, tears falling down their cheeks and letting out quiet sobs.

A distant demonic roar brought them back to reality. The Slayer quickly took the two boys in his arms. Vega contacted the Slayer, telling him where the exit portal had been set up. The Slayer quickly ran towards the area, not wanting to pick a fight and risk the safety of the children.

A shockwave had the Slayer desperately trying to gain his balance back. Once he got his footing, the Slayer continued to run, Vega told him the building was unstable and seemed to be collapsing, the boys clung to him like their life depended on it, ironically it did.

And then they were home.

————

“Slayer?” Vega said, pulling the man out of his thoughts.

The Slayer looked toward the computer screen, Vega looked at him through the web camera the Slayer set up. The Slayer read a bit of the file on the screen, but stopped, waiting for Vega to give him the details.

“X and V, they were the 22nd and 24th genetic cloning experiments under Doctor Samuel Hayden. It seems Hayden took your DNA and used it to make them… and others…” Vega began.

To say that this was shocking was an understatement. The Slayer felt angry, violated, Hayden used his own DNA to create clones of himself. Hayden already took so much, what more did he want from him.

“Hayden’s first successful clones didn’t... last long, he reasoned it was because he sped up their growth to adulthood, they were uncooperative… and rightfully didn’t trust him… Hayden came to the conclusion that he needed to start training the clones when they were younger. X and V were the youngest and newest clones, aging roughly at 4 to 5 years old. However, their time in that laboratory wasn’t very long, as the demonic invasion took priority.” Vega continued.

The Slayer had closed his eyes as he listened, his hands folded in front of him, processing the information. He had so many questions, so much rage at what Hayden had done to those poor kids, his kids it seemed. Opening his eyes, he stared at the webcamera he knew Vega was looking at him through. 

_WHAT DID HE DO TO THEM_

“Hayden put them through various behavioral and physical tests. Almost all of the tests were unethical and often hurt the boys, one even resulting in the permanent scar on their faces,” Vega concluded, it was difficult information for all of them, he could only imagine how the children felt experiencing all of that.

The Slayer clenched his fists, a frown evident on his face as he shook in anger. He stood up from his chair, and began walking around aimlessly around the fortress.

His wanderings brought him to his bedroom, entering the room, he watched as the boys, X and V, slept. To think that these were his children now, his children from the beginning really, it was hard to imagine. 

The Slayer made his way to the couch on the other side of the room, picking up a simple black shirt with the words “Cool Dude” printed on it along the way. As he sat down, taking off his chest plate and replacing it with the t-shirt, V whimpered in his sleep. A nightmare most likely, the Slayer thought.

The Slayer put his hand in V’s hair, gently stroking it, the strained expression on the boy’s face soothed into a calm one. The Slayer gave him a gentle grin, retracing his hand and reclining on the couch. 

Looking towards one of the cameras, he and Vega had a silent conversation. They knew the children were going to be a permanent addition to the fortress, and they’re going to need to make sure the fortress is a safe place for them. Vega can begin making preparations, for now, the Slayer needs to rest.

Closing his eyes, the Slayer began drifting off to sleep, trusting that Vega will take care of him, and the boys.


	6. First Breakfast

The Slayer woke up with a hefty yawn, stretching his neck and arms and pretty much everything from the torso up. Once done cracking his neck he glanced at the boys, still fast asleep, wrapped around the sea of blankets and pillows.

The Slayer signaled to Vega through one of the cameras.

“Good morning sleepy slayer,” Vega gently whispered, mindful of the boys still sleeping in the room.

The Slayer smiled brightly, he loved it when Vega called him those silly nicknames. They were personal, it was their little thing that they did, he cherished those kinds of things with Vega. Standing up, the Slayer made his way into the hallway to continue the conversation without worrying that they might wake up the boys.

_I’M THINKING BREAKFAST_

“Eggs and bacon or French Toast?” Vega inquired.

_EGGS AND BACON_

“With toast?” Vega added.

_WITH TOAST_

The Slayer entered the kitchen, ready to prepare a good breakfast for him and the boys. Normally he’d ask Vega to play some music, but he didn’t want to risk waking up the kids before it was time to eat.

——————

X was roused awake by something that smelled really really good. He sniffed the air, inhaling the strange delicious smell, his eyes yet to open. 

“Do you smell that?” V’s morning voice whispered in the quiet room.

“Yeah, what do you think it is?” X whispered as he rubbed his eyes open.

V sniffed the air, making his way off the bed and walked toward the door.

“V no! We don’t know what’s out there!” X whisper-yelled, staying put on the bed, anxious to leave the only part of the fortress that he knew was safe for them.

V turned toward his brother and gave him an annoyed sigh.

“Whatever’s out there smells really good! It can’t be that bad… and Mr Slayer said he would keep us safe…” V said, trying reason more with himself than his brother.

The Slayer promised that they would be safe, V wanted that promise to be true and the only way he could be sure of that was to test it. Plus whatever they were smelling smelled really good and he was really hungry now.

X opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed his mouth when the door opened, revealing the Slayer wearing an apron that said “Dude with the food” on it.

V was at first confused as to why his brother was so wide eyed at him but quickly figured that the Slayer might be behind him. Turning around, his theory was proven correct. The Slayer was practically looming over him, it’s amazing how tall he was and how small V is in comparison.

“Hi,” V said meekly, adding a small wave to his greeting.

The Slayer smiled down at V, reaching down to ruffle his hair. V smiled at the contact, he felt safe.

“Breakfast is ready, follow the Slayer to the kitchen, he’s prepared bacon, eggs and toast,” Vega said for the Slayer.

The Slayer offered his hand to V. V looked back to his brother with a smug grin, as if to say “I told you so.” X frowned and sat cross legged on the bed with a huff.

“Are you hungry X? There’s plenty of food prepared for everyone,” Vega said as the Slayer looked toward the boy with concern.

“I’m- I don’t wanna- I don’t wanna go out there,” X stuttered, curling in on himself.

In all honesty, X was really hungry, but he was also still wary towards the Slayer and worried about the safety of his brother. V might trust him, but X isn’t as easily swayed. For all he knows this could just be a test like Hayden always made for them, or a demon will come out of nowhere and attack them, or the building will explode and crush them.

X’s mind swam with different scenarios in which leaving the room would result in him and his brother getting hurt or worse. He sat there, paralyzed in fear, tears threatening to fall down his face and his breathing began to quicken.

The Slayer and V noticed his hesitation, V quickly went to his brother’s side, touching his arm and asking him what’s wrong. The Slayer was at first unsure of what to do, then looked toward his helmet resting on his night stand, getting an idea. 

The Slayer took the helmet and placed it on X’s head. Then proceeded to breathe in and out and motioned breathing in and out, just like their first meeting.

Just like their first meeting, X held onto the sides of the helmet as he breathed. The helmet helped him, it grounded him and made him feel safe. Once his breathing became slower and more regulated, X lifted the helmet in hesitation, thinking the Slayer would want it back, but the Slayer put his hand on top of X’s head as if to say he could keep it on if he wanted.

X kept the helmet on, breathing a sigh of relief as the safety of the helmet engulfed him. The Slayer once again offered his hand to him, this time he took it.

————

Hand in hand, The Slayer and his boys walked to the kitchen. The smell of cooked bacon and toasted bread welcomed them and had the boys practically drooling.

The Slayer let go of their hands to pull out two stools at the small kitchen island, placing one boy on each stool. They were too short so they had to stand in order to reach the counter top. 

The Slayer prepared a plate for each of them, two strips of bacon, a serving of scrambled eggs, and a slice of toast. Once everyone had a plate in front of them the Slayer poured the boys a glass of milk, not pouring himself one as he had prepared a cup of coffee earlier.

He then placed a fork on a napkin next to their plate and sat in his own chair across from them and took a sip of his coffee before taking a strip of bacon and chewing on it.

X and V, weren’t exactly sure what to do now. They know how to use a fork, don't get them wrong, but they’ve never seen food like this before. It smelled really good though, solving the mystery of where the smell was coming from. 

They opted to follow in the lead of the Slayer, V took a sip of the liquid from his cup. It tasted good, it was cold and creamy and satisfying. He quickly took another, larger, sip.

X on the other hand, didn’t take a sip of the milk, instead he took one of the bacon strips and, lifting the helmet, took a bite. It was delicious! It was crunchy and flavorful and X took more bites of it, savoring the flavor while chewing.

A burp next to him had him turning to his brother, X giggled, noticing the white line of milk on his brother’s lips. The Slayer was silently chuckling and smiling behind his coffee cup at the sight.

“What?” V asked, feeling a bit self conscious, unaware of the milk mustache on his face.

“You have some milk on your lips V, it occasionally happens when you drink milk. It’s commonly referred to as a Milk Mustache,” Vega explained.

X continued to giggle as V wiped the milk with the napkin given to him.

The three of them continued eating from there. X and V savored every bite, enjoying the new tastes and delicious food they had the pleasure of eating. The toast was crispy and buttered, the eggs were delicious and the bacon was one of their favorites.

When their plates were empty of food the boys found themselves wanting more, but they were too shy to ask and it seemed that they ate all of it.

The Slayer took their plates and cups, putting them in the sink to wash later. He then sat back in the chair across from X and V.

_VEGA CAN YOU TELL THEM OUR PLAN_

“Of course,” Vega said.

X and V looked to each other before looking back to the Slayer, recognizing that the strange hand movements he made were the way he communicated and Vega was about to say something, most likely what the Slayer said.

“The Slayer and I read your files from the laboratory, we understand your origins and that Hayden has hurt you and traumatized you to a great extent. The Slayer understands this pain you carry, I do as well to an extent. That is why we want to help you as best as we can. Where you are now is our base of operations, currently orbiting the earth,” Vega began, stopping when he detected the Slayer signing to him.

“Yes, the Slayer likes to call it Cool Guy Zone, though I’m personally partial to The Fortress of Doom. We’re… currently debating the official title… the votes are tied in a deadlock,” Vega explained.

“I like Cool Guy Zone,” X blurted out.

“Yeah Cool Guy Zone sounds cooler” V agreed.

This got the Slayer to smile smugly, looking over to a camera Vega most likely was observing them.

_COOL GUY ZONE WINS_

If Vega could roll his eyes he would. He was rooting for Fortress of Doom, but now that there’s technically three Doom Slayers that makes him the minority.

“Regardless of the name, we want to make this a safe place for you two, a home. The Slayer and I are going to be making major modifications to the base so that it will function as a safe environment to raise you two. We are telling you in advance so that you understand what is going on and so that you can express any concerns with us,” Vega said.

“So… what do we do? Are you gonna give us tests?” X asked, unsure of their place in Cool Guy Zone.

“No, you’re not going to be put through those “tests” anymore. While we modify the base the bedroom is the least hazardous place for you to stay, we don’t have much in the way of age appropriate entertainment but the Slayer is willing to let you play with his action figures,” Vega answered.

“Action figure?” V questioned, head tilting to the side.

The Slayer stood from his seat, a confident smile on his face. This was his time to shine.

_I CAN EXPLAIN THIS ONE VEGA_


	7. Throw out the trash

X held the action figure that modeled the Doom Slayer in all his glory in his hands. Confused on why the Slayer would have such an object in his possession. Looking over to V, X noted that he held a figure that resembled a cacodemon.

The Slayer signed and Vega translated, as usual.

“These are action figures, also considered to be toys, created for children so that they can pretend to be The Doom Slayer and raze hell with the power of their imaginations. The Slayer likes to collect his merchandise and other things that interest him. X you are holding his latest action figure, modeled after his current preator suit and- oh- Slayer, V is holding his hand up to ask a question,” Vega said.

V was in fact holding his hand up. X and V didn’t particularly understand half of what was said. The Slayer stopped signing and looked to V, waiting to hear his question.

“What’s a toy? Also what’s imagination?” V asked.

The Slayer was a bit wide eyed at the questions, he figured the boys wouldn’t understand a few concepts but he never expected the isolation to go this deep.

“Oh dear, this is going to take quite a bit of explaining,” Vega commented.

—————

Vega and the Slayer watched with pride as X and V played with the Slayer’s action figures freely and utilizing their imaginations. Whatever story or game they created Vega and the Slayer didn’t understand at all. What mattered was that the boys were having fun.

“If you two need anything just call. The Slayer and I will be working in the bedroom since you two are here in his personal quarters,” Vega said.

_AKA THE AWESOME ROOM_

“Every room you’re in is the awesome room Slayer,” Vega quipped back.

Vega then realized what he had just said and the lights flickered, as if to indicate his embarrassment. The Slayer simply smiled into one of the cameras, a light blush evident on his face, complimenting his goofy smile.

“Let’s get to work, I will be… uh… at the 3D printer making the necessary components,” Vega stuttered, trying to save face.

X and V paused their playing for a moment, perplexed as to what happened in the exchange they witnessed.

“What just happened? And why is your face so red?” V blurted.

The Slayer looked down toward the two boys and chuckled, then ruffled V’s hair. As he walked out of the room, he did a double take when he passed his bookshelf. Then pulled out a sign language dictionary he acquired during his wanderings, handing it to the boys.

Then a thought occurred to him. Can they read? It would make sense if they could, it’s a useful skill Hayden would want them to know if he wanted to make them super soldiers. Then again, Hayden is the type to leave out such a skill should he deem it “unnecessary”

“Is this a guide on those hand movements you make?” X asked as he looked at the cover of the book.

The Slayer was pulled out of his thoughts by the question. He nodded, adding a gesture where he pointed to his nose with one hand and pointed to X with the other, a smile on his face to top it off.

“The Sign Language Dictionary… includes different variations from all over the world and the ASL alphabet,” V read over X’s shoulder.

That answered the Slayer’s question on whether or not they could read. He patted the boy’s heads as a goodbye and left the room. 

X and V quickly opened the book in excitement. New knowledge, a language at that, all at their fingertips and just waiting to be read.

—————

The Slayer entered the main deck where the 3D printer was currently running and creating the necessary parts for the upgrades to the bedroom. The Slayer knew Vega was here overlooking the printer and smiled at the memory of the AI saying any room he was in was awesome. 

_THIS ROOM IS NOW AWESOME_

The lights brightened immensely before returning to normal, indicating Vega’s surprise at the Slayer’s presence and his remembrance of his… compliment. Vega can’t decide if he wishes he could blush, facepalm or disappear right now, he might want to do all three.

The Slayer simply chuckles, he couldn’t help but tease Vega, he’s cute when he gets flustered. Plus the “awesome room” thing was extremely flattering and the Slayer had been thinking about it since Vega said it. Vega always had something kind to say that would make the Slayer feel nice. Vega was just amazing like that.

A part for one of the furniture pieces is finished in the printer. One of Vega’s drones, that he uses on occasion, is deployed and floats toward the finished furniture part in the 3D printer, carrying it to the bedroom. The Slayer observes this simple process he’s seen a million times over yet still finds interest in watching.

“That was the last part needed for the beds, all that’s left is the 2 mattresses, 6 pillows, 4 blankets, and for you to assemble them,” Vega stated, voice even and confident to prevent himself from stuttering as he is still recovering from embarrassment.

The Slayer hummed in approval and walked around the main deck a bit. One of the computer displays used to keep track of the ARC resistance network was presenting an update available. The Slayer played the broadcast, listening in absentmindedly. 

He found himself looking out the window, overlooking the earth in all its glory. The broadcast channel was announcing to any survivors listening that the demonic invasion was over, telling everyone of his victory against The Icon of Sin. A sigh escaped his lips as he crossed his arms. They called him a god, asking him for guidance, removing any sense of humanity from him. Then again, he isn’t much of a normal human these days. 

The broadcast ended and the Slayer’s brooding session was cut short when he saw Hayden’s broken robotic chassis crumpled at the window. It reminded the Slayer that he left him there, which wasn’t good. He’s got two boys under his care that look up to him, it’s important for the Slayer to be a good role model for them. 

Leaving trash on the floor and not disposing of it properly is not a behavior he wants them to pick up.

_VEGA_

“Yes Slayer?” Vega asked.

_DO YOU THINK THROWING HAYDEN IN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL IS A GOOD IDEA?_

“That sounds like an excellent idea. However I would not recommend it, Hayden’s chassis is quite durable and I wouldn’t want the garbage disposal to sustain any damage trying to take it apart,” Vega responded elatedly. 

The Slayer picked up Hayden’s remains with one arm, examining it the same way he did when he retrieved him from ARC. Looking out the window, an idea came to mind.

_LET'S THROW HIM OUT IN SPACE_

If Vega could smile. This was going to be satisfying, very satisfying. 

The Slayer dragged the broken chassis behind him, humming a simple tune as he walked. Vega trailed after him, watching him through the cameras and documenting the moment. He liked it when the Slayer hummed. 

———— 

_A B C D E F_

“X look! It’s my name!” V said, pointing to the sign for V, copying it with his right hand. 

The two of them giggled at the sign. It was such a fascinating language, there was much to learn. While they didn’t say it, they hoped the Slayer would tell them more about it. The dictionary only does so much and they barely understand how to read in all honesty. 

Their train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps and something metal being dragged on the floor. The boys figured it was the Slayer and would have shrugged it off, but they were incredibly curious why he was near his personal room and not the bedroom. 

So when the door opened in front of them and they peered out into the hallway and were greeted with the sight of the Slayer dragging Doctor Samuel Hayden across the floor, they were hit with a wave of fear. 

The Slayer noticed them when the door opened and gave them a warm smile and a wave. His smile dropped when he noticed their fear, their eyes locked on Hayden. Vega took it upon himself to explain the situation. 

“The Slayer is going to throw Doctor Hayden’s robotic chassis into space. Hayden himself is trapped in another dimension, all that’s left of him is this, and we’re throwing it away so that he can no longer hurt anyone with his memory,” Vega gently spoke. 

The Slayer kneeled down in front of the boys. X hesitantly tore his eyes away from Hayden to look at the Slayer. Raising his hand, the Slayer placed it on V’s head. The gentle touch caught the boy’s attention, V looked at the Slayer, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. 

“I wanna watch,” V spoke, his voice meek but determined. 

The Slayer looked at the boy softly, wiping a stray tear from his face. He then looked to X, wanting to confirm whether or not X wanted to watch as well. X simply nodded, thus the three of them began walking through the hallways. The Slayer dragged Hayden’s body and the boys trailed behind him. 

They came to the end of the hallway, the remnants of a walkway that might have lead to a tower now lead to the ever expanding void of space. 

The Slayer changed his grip on Hayden’s body, now holding him by the neck. He then motioned for X and V to move back, to which they did. 

Like a Grecian athlete, the Slayer brought his arm back and with impressive strength, threw Hayden’s remains into the void of space. The force and momentum of the throw carried the chassis far into space and will hopefully continue to do so forever. 

X and V walked up to the Slayer, the three of them stood side by side. With Vega in the ship’s systems, the four of them watched Hayden float away. 

It felt so unreal to X and V, to watch Hayden float away like a bad dream, to have proof that he won’t hurt them again. The boys looked up to the Slayer’s face. 

The Slayer was frowning, hands clenched into fists, eyes trained on the robotic chassis that was getting smaller and farther by the minute. Good riddance to that nightmare of a man, his effect on the Slayer’s life however, won’t float away and never bother him. 

Hesitantly, X placed a hand on the Slayer’s. The contact broke the Slayer’s train of thought and brought his eyes to look upon X and V. Relaxing his fists, he took their hands into his. Hand in hand, they gazed at the stars, no longer focused on the pain of their past, but now set on healing from it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I’m not doing so good right now. The next chapter will be a long wait, that’s all I can say on that


	8. So Many New Things

X and V sat on their newly built beds in the slightly renovated bedroom. The only major change made to the room was the addition of two small beds placed next to the Slayer’s.

X sat on his bed, which sported green sheets, reading through the sign language dictionary. V slept on his own bed, which was decorated with red sheets and currently held all the pillows in the room for maximum comfort as he napped.

X kept a small mental list of words he didn’t understand as he idly read through the dictionary. Hoping to get Vega and the Slayer’s help when they finished the renovations.

As if on cue, the door opened and in came the Slayer, waving his hand as a greeting.

“The renovations are still ongoing, but we’ve decided to break for lunch if you’re currently hungry.” Vega announced.

“I’m hungry!” V energetically emerged from his nest of pillows.

The Slayer offered his hands to the boys and they excitedly crawled off their beds to take them. The three of them walked to the kitchen, which now had a table lower to the ground for them to eat at. Accompanying the table were smaller chairs that X and V easily climbed into and could properly sit in and still reach the tabletop.

“Did you make more of that bacon and egg stuff for lunch?” X asked, hoping he was right.

“Yeah it was the yummiest food ever! Way better than the ration bars and gross food we ate in the lab,” V added.

The Slayer lightly chuckled at their enthusiasm.

“Unfortunately we did not make bacon and eggs. Bacon and eggs are typically breakfast food and there are plenty more delicious food options out there that we would like you to try and hope you’ll enjoy as well. For lunch the Slayer has prepared fried chicken sandwiches. They contain lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, along with the fried chicken and sesame seed bun,” Vega cheerily spoke as the Slayer set the boys plates in front of them, paired with a glass of water.

The food looked and smelled delicious, but the boys were kind of disappointed in hearing that they wouldn’t be eating bacon and eggs. Apparently you can only eat those things at breakfast. Tentatively, X and V simply looked at the food on their plate, unsure of how one was supposed to eat it. The Slayer didn’t give them a fork like last time.

Seeing this, the Slayer sat across from them, his own chicken sandwich plated before him. The Slayer held the sandwich with two hands, as one does, and took his first bite.

The boys watched the Slayer take his first bite. Slowly, they held the sandwich in the same way, glancing at the Slayer to make sure they were doing it right. X and V were stiff when they took that first bite, but once the sandwich made contact with their taste buds they were ecstatic! It wasn’t as crunchy as the bacon but it was in its own way and it was flavorful and a bunch of other things X and V didn’t have any words for.

They continued eating in silence. V was the first to finish his meal, followed by X. Finishing his last bite, the Slayer stacked all of their plates in one hand and single handedly carried their empty cups in his other, bringing them to the sink.

“Would you like to see the various renovations we’ve made thus far?” Vega asked the boys as the Slayer washed the dishes.

“Can we?!” X asked, a smile beaming on his face.

_LET’S GO NOW_

The Slayer signed, wiping his hands with a paper towel after.

“Let’s... go... now! Right?” X said, hoping that his translation was correct.

_YES_

The smile that beamed on X’s face was one the Slayer would never forget.

———————

The tour wasn’t too long. Vega explained that the process of child-proofing the place would still be ongoing as the boys grew up and the Slayer and Vega learned more about child care and the best way to tend to their needs.

Thus far they had built a small child proof area in the Slayer’s quarters and renovated an empty room so that it may one day be a playroom. Currently the future playroom just had a few bean bags, a bookshelf with the few age appropriate books the Slayer owned, and a shelf that held a few stuffed animals and action figures the Slayer hoped the boys would like.

What caught X and V’s attention however, was the giant window overlooking space. Without the earth in view, X and V had a better view of the stars. It was absolutely breathtaking.

“There’s one last room we want to show you, and then you may return here or the bedroom until dinner,” Vega said.

X and V returned to the Slayer’s side, walking out of the room and into the maze that is the fortress.

“What room are you taking us to?” V asked curiously.

As they reached the room in question, the door opened for dramatic effect.

“The bathroom,” Vega answered.

X and V understood what was going to happen next and were quick to cry out in protest, even attempting to escape the room. However, they were already inside and Vega closed the door to prevent them from escaping.

“I don’t want a bath! I hate baths!” V angrily stomped, repeating the last sentence as he did so.

His brother took to facing the door, away from the Slayer, his arms crossed and his face pouting angrily.

Typical toddler behavior, protesting against something they don’t want to do even if it’s good for them. Any normal parent would just force their kid into the bath and the child would change their mind and have a fun bubble bath. 

Unfortunately, the Slayer and Vega were not normal parents and X and V were not normal kids. They had to take into account any possible trauma X and V might have suffered during their time with Hayden. Fortunately, the Slayer and Vega did consider this and had various plans, methods, and workarounds for this problem.

Step one: present the rubber duck as an offering.

With a simple squeeze and a fairly loud squeak, the boys’ attention was directed toward the Slayer. Curiosity overtook anger as the Slayer presented the rubber duck to the boys.

“What the Slayer is holding is called a Rubber Duck, also known as a rubber ducky. It is a toy often used for play time in the bath,” Vega explained.

“Can we play with it?” X asked innocently.

“Yes you may play with it, but you can only play with it in the bathtub,” Vega said, hoping the bargain will be accepted.

“No! I hate baths!” V shouted, his stomping in protest returning.

This was definitely not going to be easy, but the Slayer and Vega were prepared for things not to be easy.

“May I ask why you do not like baths V?” Vega asked.

“Baths are terrible! You just get sprayed with water that’s cold and then you’re cold forever!” V explained, his hate for “baths” evident.

Of course, leave it to Hayden to push as many cruelties on another human being as he can. This is most likely one of many things the boys will have to relearn.

“Rest assured, your previous experiences with what you consider to be a quote-unquote “bath” are nothing like the bath we are asking you to take. I’ve never had one before, but the Slayer has had many and has told me that they are quite enjoyable. In a proper bath you simply sit in the bathtub, fill it with warm water, and use soap to wash yourself clean,” Vega’s polite voice explained.

“It’s not cold?” X and V asked simultaneously, tilting their heads.

To answer their question, the Slayer began preparing the bath. As warm water filled the bathtub, X and V hesitantly approached it, peering in and watching the water rise.

The Slayer placed the classic rubber duck in the bath, and a second rubber duck that looked like it was wearing his preator suit.

X and V’s eyes widened with awe. Hesitantly, V dipped a finger into the rising bath water, quickly withdrawing it.

“It’s warm,” V discovered.

“Baths are meant to be warm. Some baths also contain bubbles, creating an experience known as a Bubble Bath,” Vega explained.

As he was explaining, the Slayer poured soap into the bath, creating bubbles like Vega said would happen.

Next thing X and V knew the bathtub was full of bubbles! There were so many bubbles that the rubber ducks could no longer be seen!

With one hand, the Slayer scooped up a handful of bubbles and presented it to X and V. Copying the Slayer, X scooped up a small handful of the bubbles from the Slayer’s hand. X and V were absolutely wide eyed and full of wonder at the discovery of bubbles.

“Do you want to take a bubble bath?” Vega asked.

“Yeah!” X and V eagerly cheered.

—————

Funny enough, getting them in the bath was the easy part. Getting them out of the bath? That was a challenge.

But with the power of warm towels, new clean clothes, and a bunny stuffed animal each, X and V were now out of the bath and taking a warm nap in their beds.

“They seem very fond of their rabbit plush,” Vega observed as the Slayer tucked V into bed.

_THEY GET THAT FROM ME_

Vega lightly chuckled at that.

“They get everything from you, they’re your clones,” Vega said.

The Slayer exited the room silently, with Vega turning the lights down low as the door closed behind him.

A silence fell over the odd couple as the Slayer walked the halls of Cool Guy Zone. The two of them seemed to silently agree that now was a good time for a break before making sure the rest of the fortress was safe for the boys. Yet the Slayer had something weighing on his mind, and as he sunk into his computer chair the monitor lit up, Vega’s symbol displaying on the console, a sign that he wasn’t alone in his thoughts.

_Do you think we’re ready for this?_

The Slayer typed the message into their little group chat. The two of them often used this form of communication when the Slayer didn’t feel like signing.

“From what I’ve read from parental guidance and child care books thus far… I don’t think anyone ever is ready,” Vega replied. 

_It’s quite frightening when you stop and think about it._

“We’re most likely going to make many mistakes,” Vega added.

_We’re on the right track at least._

“Yes… and we have the advantage of not being Samuel Hayden,” Vega quipped.

The Slayer let out a hard chuckle at that. It was funny because Samuel Hayden is a terrible person and everyone hates him.

_Yes, we at least can’t be worse at this than him. We at least treat them like people._

A comfortable silence fell over the two after that message. Once again, for what felt like the millionth time but was actually the 89,324th time, Vega wished he could smile or at least show the Slayer that he made him smile.

_Do you think they would ever call me dad? Do they even know the word dad? I don’t think they know what a dad is._

“Oh shit, you’re right. It’s extremely likely they don’t fully understand the concept of family apart from their brotherly relationship,” Vega realized.

Their conversation continued on from there. Just the two of them making grand realizations about parenthood and wondering how in the world they were going to pull this off. This family may have had an odd start, but at the end of the day it’s still a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I know it’s been a long time and I’m incredibly sorry for that. This chapter probably isn’t that great but at least it’s done... next chapter will probably take just as long, possibly longer, sorry...


	9. Accidents Happen

Usually when X woke up from sleeping he was startled awake by a nightmare or harshly woken up by Hayden or some scientist working for Hayden. This time, things were different. There was nobody forcing him awake or the adrenaline of fear overwhelming him.

X was simply waking up by himself. 

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and looked at the bed his brother was sleeping in. To his slight surprise, V was waking up in the same manner.

V sat up in his bed, clinging to the large pink rabbit plushie he was still silently trying to find a name for. When the Slayer gave him the toy, he told the boys he once had a pet rabbit named Daisy. Which prompted Vega to list a variety of names for other flowers. The boys didn’t know much about flowers, but the Slayer and Vega promised to show them some one day. V looked forward to that day, whenever it would come.

“Good morning sleepy heads,” Vega’s soothing voice called out.

“Hi Vega,” X yawned while still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“We had planned to wake you two up earlier for dinner, but you both looked so peaceful and you were very deep in REM sleep. So the Slayer and I let you sleep. We’ve prepared breakfast for you if you’re hungry,” Vega gently announced.

“Does that mean we get to eat bacon and eggs again!” V excitedly asked.

“Correct, only this time you’ll find it looks… different,” Vega said warmly.

“Different how?” V asked as he climbed down his bed.

The door opened and the boys followed the path Vega lit up for them. When they entered the kitchen they were greeted by the Slayer wearing an apron that said “Cook and Bake. Until it is done.”

_GOOD MORNING_

“Good morning Mr. Slayer,” X and V said in unison as they sat at the table.

“We are having bacon and eggs, but the Slayer wanted to prepare it differently. This time he’s wrapped it in a tortilla and made it into a breakfast burrito. It also contains cheese!” Vega happily info dumped while the Slayer set the food in front of the boys.

The boys marveled at this new form of food, happily waiting for the Slayer to finish pouring them a glass of milk and sit down with them so they can figure out how they’re supposed to eat a “breakfast burrito.” 

Sitting down, the Slayer picked up the burrito and took a bite, as one does with burritos. X and V copied his actions, but unfortunately, as it sometimes happens to burritos, theirs fell apart under their soft and insecure grip. The contents of the burrito fell from the bottom, most landing on their laps, others on the floor, and some getting a lucky place on their plates.

“Oh no,” Vega said sympathetically.

It was a shame that their burritos fell apart, but nothing that can’t be fixed. After all it was an accident, it was their first time holding a burrito.

However, X and V were quite taken aback. Tears were even threatening to spill from V’s eyes and X was getting more and more visibly upset.

The Slayer began to stand from his chair to console them and clean up the food, but hesitated when V began crying and X began shaking and apologizing.

“W-we’re sorry Mr Slayer… it fell apart and- and- please don’t be mad. We’re sorry Mr Slayer,” X cried, his voice shaky and afraid.

Without a second thought, the Slayer was by their side, placing a reassuring hand on their shoulders while Vega whispered assurances that they didn’t do anything wrong. Once X and V were calmed, the three of them began picking up the food, throwing it all in a waste bin nearby. Vega instructed them to sit while the Slayer remade their breakfast burritos.

This incident had Vega thinking. There were so many things, both big and small, that could set the boys into a panic. Vega had skimmed their files and various entries that gave him and the Slayer an idea of what they went through, but there was still so much they didn’t know. 

So, as the Slayer placed the newly made burritos in front of the boys, Vega took a bit of a risk.

“Did Hayden get angry with you? Whenever you dropped food?” the AI asked tentatively.

The boys had carefully taken their first bite of their breakfast burritos when Vega asked that question. The Slayer was at first unsure why Vega would ask that, but understood a bit of the method when V spoke.

“Yes,” V said, quiet and timid. “He… he hated it when we wasted food… and wouldn’t give us any if we spilled.”

“And that is why you and X were crying when you spilled your food, yes?” Vega inquired.

V didn’t speak, only nodded and opted to continue eating his burrito before any tears that were once again forming in his eyes spilled. 

“We are very sorry if we scared you two, and I want both of you to know that we will never get angry with you for spilling food and we will never starve you,” Vega assured them. “We want to help you let go of these fears. But sometimes that means we’re going to ask you questions about Hayden and how he treated you. You don’t have to answer any question you don’t want to, but just know that we ask because we care about you two.”

The Slayer moved to their side, once again reassuring them through touch that they were okay. Without thinking much about it, X and V held on to the Slayer. It was almost like a hug, but not quite. Yet it was just as soothing.

—————

After the events of breakfast, the Slayer and Vega felt it was best to spend some time with the boys instead of continuing the renovations. The goal was to get to know X and V better, form a bond with them, be close to them and have them understand that they are under their protection.

When presented with the opportunity to spend time with the Slayer and Vega and have their attention, X asked that they teach him and his brother sign language. 

That whole day was spent in the Slayer’s room learning different signs, how sentences in sign language work, and learning new words they hadn’t previously known. Even when they took a break for lunch they were learning new signs and words, like what a grilled cheese sandwich is and how to say “I’m hungry” and other food related phrases.

X and V were making steady progress, of course they stumbled here and there and forgot how to sign a word on occasion, but they’re kids and it’s a new language they just started learning that day.

That’s what the Slayer and Vega told them whenever they messed up. Whenever they would forget a word and sit there with their hands ready to sign but could not remember the word, and that same expression of fear covered their face as it did that morning.

That was when the Slayer and Vega would assure them that it was okay to mess up. Because they needed to know they were okay, it didn’t matter how many times they had to reassure them, they would do it as many times as they needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are still gonna be slow tbh mainly because I feel like the story is at a place where it could in a way “end”? Like I’d definitely want to write more fluff about Doomguy and X and EX but I might make those one shots OR I’ll do some kind of time skip. Idk we’ll see I just wanna write fluff so I’m gonna try really hard not to make the next chapter sad in any way


	10. We Are Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o/ it’s been a while huh. Hope y’all like this chapter! I’m considering having this chapter be like, the last one of this story. And then just do one shots of the Doom Family doing fluffy family stuff that jumps in time at random points. Idk we’ll see! For now just enjoy the fluff

“And then V caught the ball!” X exclaimed, raising his hands and clapping them together for emphasis.

“Really! That’s so amazing V!” Vega praised.

V felt his face heat up, he was blushing. The positive feedback made him feel happy, but also self conscious as he wasn’t used to it.

“It wasn’t a big deal we were just playing a game,” V tried shrugging it off.

“Yeah but it was really cool V! Everyone knew it was cool!” X insisted on giving his brother praise.

_X IS CORRECT. YOU DID SOMETHING COOL._

“See! Even the Slayer says you’re cool!” X exclaimed.

V felt very embarrassed now. Hiding underneath a fluffy pink blanket they brought in was now his only way to escape the embarrassment. 

After lunch they went to their playroom where the Slayer and Vega had been telling them about sports and various other activities they could do to have fun. That’s when X told them about a silly little game they played back in the lab and about V’s aforementioned accomplishment.

Now X was not going to let his brother hide from the praise he deserved.

“You’re cool V!” X exclaimed, lifting up the blanket so V couldn’t hide.

Now V was pretty smart. He knew the only way to get X off his back was to turn the tables against him.

“No you’re cooler! You finished that maze test the fastest remember!” V pointed out.

“A maze you say? That sounds like quite the accomplishment,” Vega encouraged.

The seed was sown, it was X’s turn to feel embarrassed. All according to plan.

“W-well I mean… it was just a test,” X said, face heating up like V’s did earlier.

_YOU DID SOMETHING COOL TOO X._

The Slayer ruffled X’s hair, chuckling at the boundless energy his kids possessed. V sat cross legged, no longer hiding under the blanket, but letting it wrap around his shoulders.

“Now you tell us something cool you did Mr. Slayer!” V asked excitedly.

The Slayer chuckled at V’s enthusiasm, glad to see him overcome his embarrassment and engage back in the conversation.

“Yeah! What kind of tests are you good at?” X asked as well, sitting himself in front of the Slayer next to his brother.

The Slayer thought for a moment, figuring out how best to tell them that he didn’t experience the same things they did. The Slayer was never treated like a lab rat by Hayden, more like a prized object. And he can’t exactly use a childhood memory, they wouldn’t understand most of his stories, and after being alive for what feels like a few thousand years he can’t exactly remember them very clearly.

What he can remember clearly though, is Daisy. And that one time he fell into someone’s pool while trying to do an ollie on his skateboard but that’s a story for a different time.

_VEGA, COULD YOU TRANSLATE FOR ME?_

“Of course,” Vega answered.

“The Slayer did… different tests when he was your age. Throughout his life he was good at different things. However, one thing he was very good at was caring for animals, specifically rabbits,” Vega began.

“Oh oh oh! Is this another story about Daisy!” V asked excitedly, wrapping his blanket tighter around himself.

_YES_

X and V cheered simultaneously, the Slayer chuckled at their love for hearing his stories about Daisy. They really were his kids. Vega continued translating the Slayer’s story.

“Daisy was a very small bunny when she was born. So small she could fit in the palm of the Slayer’s hand. Now, being a small baby bunny, Daisy was easily scared. She would hide in many places the Slayer had a hard time reaching. But, the Slayer didn’t give up on her. The Slayer would hold her and pet her on the head, this made Daisy feel at ease and little by little she would trust the Slayer. And the Slayer made sure her trust in him was never broken, he took care of Daisy the best he could. The two of them were a family. The End.”

X and V clapped at the conclusion of the story. Shouting “yay” “woo” and various other affirming noises.

_DID YOU LIKE IT_

“Yeah we liked it! We loved it! What’s a family?” X said, bouncing up and down, his question at the end however, got him to stop jumping and look at the Slayer with curiosity.

“Yeah what’s a famlily? Is that a flower name?” V asked as well.

The Slayer and Vega were a bit stunned on how to answer. The two of them had theorized that X and V might not know what a family is but figured they did know considering they referred to each other as brothers. Not only that, but depending on how they explained it, they might associate Hayden as their father, since he had a hand in their creation, and that would be a step backwards.

“Well… first of all, a family isn’t a flower, sorry V,” Vega apologized.

“Awh,” V said sadly.

X giggled, but hid his smile behind his hand. V playfully stuck his tongue at X, his sadness at the lack of flower information forgotten.

“The definition of a family is… somewhat broad. But overall it is a social unit, a group of people who are united by a variety of factors. Whether it is blood relations, common attitudes, interests, or goals,” Vega explained.

“So… a family is… people that know each other?” X asked, trying to make sense of the concept.

“Well, it’s… more complicated than that. People that know each other would be considered friends or acquaintances. Whereas people that are close... and know everything about each other... and trust each other might consider themselves family,” Vega attempted to explain.

“People that trust each other…” V repeated to himself, “like how we trust you?”

V looked at the Slayer expectantly. A gentle smile was on his face, he nodded. V smiled back, happy to have confirmation that he said something right.

“Does that mean we’re family?” V asked, a hopeful look on his face.

“Yes, if you’d like us to be a family, the Slayer and I will be more than happy to do so,” Vega explained happily.

This was going well, X and V wanted the Slayer and Vega to be family, to care for them like they have been since the moment they met.

“Hayden created us… he knows everything about us… does that mean he’s family?” X said, somewhat suddenly.

The boy looked to the Slayer, a look of sadness on his face. He was hopeful at first, this family thing sounded nice. But Hayden fit some of the criteria of being family, so it must not be a good thing after all.

“No.” _NO._ The Slayer and Vega said in unison.

Vega was somewhat surprised at the unison, but took it as a sign, The Slayer will explain this one.

“Hayden has done awful things to the both of you. Correct?” Vega began.

The boys nodded.

“Do you feel that he cared for you?”

The boys shook their heads no.

“Then he is not family. A family’s purpose is to love and care for one another. To protect each other. Hayden did not care for you or love you or protect you. He is not family.”

The boys were teary eyed at the words, but not in a bad way. They felt… safe, happy, and loved. The Slayer was known for his anger, and he definitely seemed angry right now, but this anger wasn’t at them, it was for them. They were humanity, and the Slayer used his anger to protect them.

“We are family.”


End file.
